Recently, White Guys Are Diverse, Too, got a call from a diversity coordinator who was intrigued about the title of the program. As WGADT shared, she said that people may have trouble with the title of the program. WGADT asked her why. She said that people would think it was racist or would make people feel uncomfortable. She wasn't the first person to say that, and sadly she won't be the last. WGADT shared with her the same thing it's going to share with you.More

Attend the ACS Diversity ReceptionAmerican Chemical Society Share The ACS Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board and the Department of Diversity Programs cordially invite you to the ACS Diversity Reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. PDT March 25 at the San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina.

ACS Career Fair on-site and online — March 25-27American Chemical Society Share The ACS Career Fair in March will be a hybrid event, fully integrating the Virtual Career Fair into the on-site ACS Career Fair to be held concurrently with the ACS national meeting at the San Diego Convention Center. This innovative online/on-site career fair will offer job seekers not only more venues to connect with prospective employers, but also more programs to gain the knowledge and skills needed to reach their career goals. Register now.

Overcoming Challenges AwardAmerican Chemical Society Share Are you a student who has overcome challenges while studying and have defeated the odds? Tell us your story and you could win a trip to the ACS National Meeting where you will be honored with a plaque and $250 award. For more information and to apply, visit www.ACS.org/diversity. The deadline is April 1.More

Niagara Plus Accessory for ICPDoubles the productivity of an ICP-OES or ICP-MS. The integration of a purpose-built switching valve with flow injection technology eliminates most of the sample cycle overhead required for accurate analysis. In addition, the Niagara Plus reduces carryover and memory effects and lowers operating costs by reducing sample contact with consumables. Visit us online at www.geicp.com.

Your opinion matters: Survey seeks input from STEM professionals, degree-holders and studentsBreakthrough Marketing Technology Share Breakthrough Marketing Technology is conducting a study for a major science-based, not-for-profit. Though this is a broad-based exploration, there is particular interest in the inclusion of African-American and Hispanic professionals, and students in STEM, medicine and related fields as well as those in political science, public health, economics and other technically oriented areas.

The objective is to develop ways to improve engagement with their professional organization by exploring personal and professional priorities, expectations of organizational membership, and the impact of culture on survey participants. This survey constitutes a significant portion of the work and is now available online.

Topline survey results will be shared with ACS.

Please complete the survey (it will take about 20 minutes) and forward it to people in your networks who qualify. It is open until March 19.

The incentive for participating is entry in an iPad3/HD drawing.

Disclaimer: The American Chemical Society accepts no liability for the content of this survey, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this survey are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the American Chemical Society.More

March Chemist of the Month — Uma ChowdhryAmerican Chemical Society Share
Polymer science and technology are just two of the areas to which Uma Chowdhry, a scientist and manager at the DuPont Company, has contributed. She directed the Terathane business for DuPont in the mid-1990s after inventing new ceramics for use in electronic devices. For Chowdhry, a leader in both research and business, it is not enough to make a new material that she is proud of as a scientific accomplishment; she also has to find practical uses for it. She moves new chemicals from beakers in the lab to products in the store.More

A: Polling employees about diversity is a key way to gain critical feedback on the impact of your company's diversity initiatives. All of the DiversityInc Top 50
companies include questions specific to diversity in their employee surveys. These questions also serve to increase knowledge of engagement and awareness. The DiversityInc Top 50 companies also use these questions to drive specific diversity results, such as increasing participation in mentoring and employee resource group programs.
More

Perkins challenges 'mass' entrepreneurshipMassChallenge Share
Perkins School for the Blind is ready to back entrepreneurs who focus on improving opportunities and quality of life for people with disabilities by offering the Perkins Assistive Technology Prize as part of the MassChallenge 2012. The $25,000 grant, drawn from a donation earmarked for technological solutions, promotes Perkins’ mission to empower individuals with disabilities to reach their personal potential, especially when exploring all of the possibility cutting-edge technology has to offer. Registration runs through April 11 at noon EDT. Click here to register.

How motherhood stalls women's academic careersDiversity Executive Share A lack of women in certain tenured professorships isn't necessarily due to sex discrimination or lack of ability — it's because of their choice to have kids and raise a family, according to a recent study. Researchers from Cornell University say women are lacking in math-intensive professorships at universities for a simple reason: They choose to become moms instead. How can they do both? More

The case for transforming undergraduate STEM educationDiverse Issues in Higher Education Share Every day, it seems there are new calls to strengthen and diversify the science, technology, engineering and mathematics pipeline by leaders from across the political spectrum. The education community knows this cause well. As many researchers will tell you, interest in STEM majors and careers by underrepresented students is not the issue. It's what happens along the way to a STEM degree that poses a problem to the majority of students who start down this path.More

STEM initiatives focus on improving interest, educationredOrbit Share One of the hottest buzz terms when it comes to education reform is STEM. The acronym, which stands for science, technology, math, and engineering education, was created as an easy-to-remember method for referencing these areas of school curriculum. Many business and political leaders express growing concern that not enough Americans, especially women and minorities, are headed into these fields.More

The Cutting Edge of ChemistryThe Cutting Edge of Chemistry is a free report from Thomson Reuters, delivering an action-packed review of the latest synthesis schemes, scaffolds, mechanisms of action, and new structures shaping today's drug discovery and development pipeline. Extensively researched, this report gives you a deeper insight into the latest chemistry news that matters to you. MORE

Diversity in the workplace: Creating long-term business solutionsThe Root DC via The Washington Post Share If Martin Davidson had his way, the recent media flubs concerning Jeremy Lin could have been avoided. ESPN's operation, he said, wasn't diverse enough to stop a racially insensitive headline about Lin. The lesson for others, said Davidson, a professor at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, is leveraging difference to the organization's benefit.More

Top 5 ways to use your resource groupsDiversityInc Share How can your organization increase its potential for bottom-line growth? Leverage your resource groups for improved talent development and innovative go-to market strategies. Data from the DiversityInc Top 50 shows that these resource groups are crucial to business success with multicultural communities. When used effectively, they increase diversity in recruitment and promotions as well as improve overall employee engagement.More

ACS Fellows Program open for 2012 nominations — deadline is April 23American Chemical Society Share
The purpose of the ACS Fellows Program, one component of the broader ACS Awards Program, is to recognize members of the American Chemical Society for their outstanding achievements in and contributions to the science/profession and for service to the ACS community.

ACS needs your help in identifying those members who should be recognized with this esteemed honor.

Nominations are now being accepted for 2012 Fellows. See the program guidelines for eligibility criteria and the nomination process.

Fermion continues to extend their leadership in the development of new high potency API's. These products include not only the classical anticancer therapies, but also other highly active compounds for sedation and the treatment of psychoactive and respiratory disorders. MORE

Raytheon sweetens annual Pi Day celebration for math and science teachersPR Newswire via MarketWatch Share Raytheon expanded its annual Pi Day tradition by delivering hundreds of apple pies nationwide to math and science teachers at middle and high schools located within a 3.14-mile radius of select Raytheon business locations across the country. "Raytheon believes our nation's teachers deserve recognition for all their efforts, especially those related to math and science," said Pam Wickham, Raytheon vice president. "With this small token of appreciation, we're celebrating the fun in math and hope that students and teachers do, too." More

Graduation study finds gains, challenges for Latino studentsDiverse Issues in Higher Education Share Latinos are making major strides in college completion although they continue to trail whites, African-Americans and Asian Americans in several key areas, a new report says. During the past decade, the number of Hispanics with a bachelor's degree or higher increased by 80 percent to 3.8 million, says Excelencia in Education. However, only 21 percent of Latino adults have an associate's degree or higher, compared to 57 percent of Asian Americans, 44 percent of Whites and 30 percent of African-Americans.More

Making the Connections²: A How-To Guide for Organic Chemistry Lab TechniquesMTC², by Dr. Anne B. Padías, offers students an affordable alternative to comparative manuals ($25 net). Through its precise presentation and practical approach, MTC² increases comprehension of the basic tenets while igniting a true interest in organic techniques, connecting the chemistry to real-world examples. It is universally suited as a supplement to any lab curriculum. MORE

State accepting applications for 2012 Mr. and Miss Indiana Math and ScienceThe Times Share Applications are being accepted for the 2012 Hoosier High School Math and Science Awards. This marks the fifth year for the awards, which the governor created to recognize Indiana's top high school math and science talent. Winners, acknowledged as Mr. or Miss Math or Science, will be selected by a committee of high school math and science teachers, curriculum experts from the Indiana Department of Education and representatives from the governor's office. Each winner will receive a $2,000 academic scholarship from McGraw-Hill Education.More

Iowa House approves bill allowing professionals to teach some high school classesRadio Iowa Share The Iowa House has voted to let more people with college degrees in math, science, engineering or technology teach high schoolers if the prospective teacher has taken an online teaching course from the University of Northern Iowa and can pass a test of the subject matter. Rep. Josh Byrnes, a Republican from Osage, says there's a shortage of high school teachers for math, science and technology courses, and professionals who've worked at least 6,000 hours in a job that requires those skills can fill the void.More

Interactive Smithsonian exhibit engages students in mathU.S. News & World Report Share Within the space of a few minutes, kids can program a robot, design a skateboard, control a satellite, shred down a mountain on a snowboard, and, hopefully, learn a thing or two about the math behind it all. It's part of Raytheon's "MathAlive!" exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution's International Gallery in Washington, D.C. Designed for middle school students, the exhibit doesn't shy away from advanced concepts such as the physics of a skateboard ollie, iPad app programming and the binary number system.More

Will.i.am pushes STEM with innovation contestU.S. News & World Report Share Black Eyed Pea will.i.am and Time Warner Cable are teaming up to inspire young innovators with the "Wouldn't It Be Cool If..." contest. The contest challenges students between the ages of 10 and 15 to come up with "cool" innovations — early entries range from the feasible to fantastic — from waterproof phone cases and fuel-efficient cars to "a pen that writes what you think" and an "autochore" machine.More

PNC: Investing in inclusionDiversity Executive Share Through rich demographic information and business insight, PNC's Marsha Jones is seeing a significant return on the company's diversity investments.More